Harvard International Law Journal

General Information

The Harvard International Law Journal seeks to publish innovative, original scholarship that makes a significant contribution to the fields of international, comparative, or foreign affairs law. The Journal welcomes articles from legal scholars, practitioners, and doctoral degree candidates.

Timing

We accept submissions on a rolling basis. However, to be considered for the Summer issue, articles generally should be submitted by November 1st; to be considered for the Winter issue, it is best to submit articles by May 1st.

Requirements

Articles above 30,000 words (including footnotes) are strongly discouraged. All manuscripts must be submitted in English with both text and footnotes typed and may be single or double-spaced. Footnotes must conform with The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (most recent edition), and authors should be prepared to supply any cited sources upon request.

In addition to the manuscript, authors must include an abstract of not more than 250 words, as well as a resume or CV, which includes a list of current publications. Authors also must ensure that their submissions include a direct e-mail address and phone number at which they can be reached throughout the review period.

Please note that, due to high submissions volume, we are unable to offer feedback on articles not accepted for publication.

Submission and Platform Fees

The Harvard International Law Journal accepts electronic submissions directly through Scholastica, which charges $6.50 per author submission. If this fee poses any barrier to submission, please contact the Managing Editors at iljsubmissions@mail.law.harvard.edu.

Expedited Reviews

In limited cases, we can expedite the review of a submitted article if the author is facing strict response deadlines by other journals that have already accepted the article. To request an expedited review, please select this option during submission through the Scholastica system.

We will do our best to accommodate authors’ requests for expedition of their submissions, but may request that authors seek extensions to ensure that their manuscripts receive full and appropriate consideration.

The Selection Process

A Submissions Committee composed of both J.D. and LL.M./S.J.D. candidates reviews articles once they are received. The ILJ Executive Board makes final decisions regarding publication. The ILJ faculty advisers at Harvard Law School typically are consulted on the evaluation of articles. Once an article has been selected, the Editors-in-Chief will contact the author with a contract and further information on the publication process. The ILJ editorial process is a rigorous one, and authors should expect to work closely with Journal staff on substantial substantive and technical revisions prior to the article’s final publication. The ILJ greatly appreciates all submissions.